Even with the cold chill coming in, we technically still have one more month of fall! And the season of fall has us thinking about “falls”. Unfortunately, falls are a common occurrence that can be overlooked and viewed as not important. However, falls can have serious consequences and should be addressed. One out of four adults aged 65+ will fall each year in the United States. That means approximately three million older adults will have to go to the emergency room due to falls. To help decrease these numbers, we put together a list of tips to help with fall prevention!
Advocate for yourself
- If you have fallen in the past or are afraid that you may fall, reach out to your local doctors.
- Have you had a recent change in medications? Sometimes taking multiple medications can lead to an increased fall risk. If you are taking a lot or have had a change, speak to your doctor.
- Have you been experiencing dizziness or lightheadedness? Reach out to learn some additional tips to address this.
- Have you had your annual eye exam? Vision is an important part of balance and safety.
- Do you have numbness in your feet or difficulty feeling the ground when you walk? Let your doctors know.
Stay active
- Staying active will help keep your legs stronger, which will help decrease your fall risk.
- It is important to strengthen the core, gluts, and calves to prevent falls.
- Balance is another important aspect. Check out one of our previous blogs for more information about balance.
- This is one area where physical therapy can greatly help.
Home Hazards
- Watch out for any tripping hazards around the home. This includes throw rugs, pets, wet surfaces, or fuzzy socks on tile or hard wood. Move rugs around or make sure they can not move to help decrease your fall risk.
- Handrails are also very helpful, especially in the home setting. If you believe you need handrails, talk with your physical therapist about options.
- Stairs are sometimes difficult to navigate. Make sure that your steps are safe with no obstructions around them and that you hold onto the handrail when going up and down the steps.
- Make sure your home is adequately lit so that lighting is not an issue and you can see where you are walking. Vision is an important part of balance, and it is harder to walk at night or in poorly lit areas.
- Make sure that the distance between the bed and bathroom is clear so that there is no issue if you have to get up in the middle of the night.
If you are experiencing any symptom such as:
- Pain or stiffness when walking
- Walking slower or needing support
- Dizziness or unsteadiness when standing up
- Weakness in the legs
- Poor eye sight
- Numbness in the feet
- Taking more than 1 medication
- Have fallen in the past
- Are 65 years of age or older
Then you may benefit in reaching out to your local PT to have a quick screening and learn some tips to prevent falls. Of course, you can always give us a call if you are in the “Falls” Church or surrounding area if you have any questions or concerns.
References
- Moreland B, Kakara R, Henry A. Trends in Nonfatal Falls and Fall-Related Injuries Among Adults Aged ≥65 Years — United States, 2012–2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:875–881. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6927a5external icon
Tags: #physical therapy, #falls church, #Arlington, #Alexandria, #Tysons, #fall prevention, #fall risk, #injury prevention
Author
Alana Hamilton
Alana Hamilton is a physical therapist at Advantage Physical Therapy in Falls Church, Virginia. She is a proud Hokie from Virginia Tech with a major in Biology and a minor in psychology and sociology. Following graduation, she immediately got her doctorate in Physical Therapy from Radford University. She is an avid fan of Pilates, running, and hiking. On the weekends, she can be found hanging out with her family and babies as well as doing Spartan races with her old physical therapy classmates and friends. She is a big believer that during rehabilitation, "Motion is the Lotion" and that staying active is key to remaining healthy.
